Can't seem to get the nitrates down

I am thinking 2 things; bad test kit (old or just bad batch) and/or unsubstantial water change. To lower Nitrate (in an emergency) For a 150 tank you must change out 45-50 gal. followed in 2 days by another 45 gal. You would need to add live bacteria at double the marine dose after each substantial change.

 

Same for me but for some it may cause a spike.

 

Amen to that! I always siphon my sand very well with water changes, and have read undetectable nitrates for a long time now.

There are definitley two things here that I noticed: You are overstocked. Not just that, but its with tangs, puffers, triggers, and groupers. That is pretty much the whole list of the dirtiest, filthiest fish available in the hobby. Secondly, you are way underskimmed. A turboflotor skimmer is not even going to come close to cutting it with a 150 gallon, heavily stocked, semi-predator fish only tank.
Then there are two more possibilities: How much rock do you have in he tank? Also, have you varified the expiration date on the test kits? Just because you recently bought them doesn't mean they aren't expired. Expired kits get sold all the time.

 

I know. I know. But I love these fish, especially the puffer and the tangs. 8)

I have 150 lbs. of LR in the tank and some additional underneath in the filtration system.

What kind of additional skimmer would you recommend or should I replace the one I have?

With regard to the test kit, I have actually checked the reading with a "quick test" strip and when the nitrates wouldn't come down, I brought a sample of the water to my LFS. They verified the high nitrates.

BTW, I couldn't find an expiration date anywhere on my test kit.

 

You took the words right outta my mouth. The main problem, I think, is that he may not have enough LR. Luna

 

As for the skimmer, I would get one that is rated for at least 300 gals. This way, if you decide to add a refugium or a sump later on(thats if you dont have them now) you will still be ahead of the game. I have a 145gal system and I use a skimmer that is rated for 200 gals. Esp. with those fish that you have. I really hope that your not using those dip stripe tests, they are garbage.

Luna

 

I'd go with a sulfur denitrator over a coil denitrator. Cycles much faster (days instead of weeks) and starts lowering nitrates immediately thereafter. In the time it would take a coil denitrator to cycle - your nitrates would be pretty much gone with a sulfur denitrator.

Z

 

Check out this thread - I have one just like this on my 90 and nitrates are always low(0-5ppm). This and a ball of cheato in my fuge are really all I have for reducing nitrates because lately, and I hate to admit this, I have been rarely doing water changes. And if you don't want to build it talk to tangster, I'm pretty sure he has some.

 

i agree, coiled denitrator is a total piece of crap! just something else to look at that does absolutly nothing! i have been running one for over 6 months now. my nitrates are probably over 200 ppm. blood red test color. i like what i've read about the sulfur one but this too could be a useless piece of junk, only worst because i would have to pay good hunk of change for it.

 

I understand your skepticism - I was too. But after living with nitrates for months with no end in site... let's just say that I used to have a full head of hair... used to.

I built my own sulfur denitrator. Basically, it's the same design as a calcium reactor without the CO2 stuff. It literally cycled in 3 days - no exaggeration - and started lowering nitrates immediately thereafter. 3 weeks later... ZERO nitrates. And none since then. I've noticed a HUGE difference in my corals since then. Better polyp extension, better growth and better coloraration. It's nice not having to worry about the occasional overfeeding too, whereas before I had to be ultra mega vigilant about my feeding schedule. I always felt like my fish were starving (even though logically I knew they were not).

Sulfur denitrators have been used successfully in Europe for years - yet for some reason the North American market has been comparitively slow to embrance the approach. Not sure why...

Z